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THIS MONTH’S CHALLENGE: How many boards does Kelly Slater have in his quiver? Jhoste Via e-mail

Ahar! So it’s info on the six-time world champ’s sea vessels ye be needing! Well, it turns out this is one even Kelly can’t answer for sure. “Oh, Jesus!” reads a bottled message from the Commodore of Cocoa Beach, ” I don’t know exactly, but I’d say there’s 10 to 15 boards in Florida, maybe 25 in California, 15 to 20 in Hawaii and another 15 in Australia. So I’d say 70 boards plus.” A gargantuan number by all means of measurement. But what’s even more impressive is the amount of surfboards he’s cast away. Master craftsman Al Merrick reckons he’s shaped an average of 75 or more spinnakers per year to appease Kelly’s gluttonous appetite. Since 1988, that adds up to a massive 1,125 surfboards — literally fathoms and fathoms of foam and fiberglass.

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